Thursday 23 February 2017, 7.30pm
“His dextrous guitar accompaniments are a constant delight, his tunes seep into the brain like a warm sun on a winter’s day, his mournful voice nags your attention, his songs intrigue, mystify and entrance and his arrangements constantly surprise.” – fRoots
Glasgow-based songwriter Alasdair Roberts returns to OTO with his trio alongside guitarist Stevie Jones and Alex Neilson on drums.
“It is a rare talent – one who is now bordering on auteur territory - who can relate folk music with such scholarly authenticity, and penetrate on such an emotional level at the same time.” – The Quietus
Alasdair Roberts is a musician (primarily a guitarist and singer) who is based in Glasgow. He has worked with Drag City Records since 1997, firstly releasing three albums of self-written material under the name Appendix Out and then several albums under his own name, the most recent being Alasdair Roberts (2015). A new album Pangs, recorded with Alex Neilson (drums) and Stevie Jones (bass) among other musicians, will be released in February 2017. Alasdair has also released music on labels such as Secretly Canadian, Galaxia and Stone Tape Recordings.
His work mainly consists of two parallel strands: self-written song material (which can be heard on albums such as Farewell Sorrow, The Amber Gatherers, Spoils, Alasdair Roberts and the forthcoming Pangs) and interpretations of traditional songs and ballads from Scotland and beyond (which can be heard on albums such as The Crook of My Arm, No Earthly Man and Too Long In This Condition).
Alasdair has collaborated widely with many different musicians throughout his musical career, including the Scottish Gaelic singer Mairi Morrison, with whom he made the 2012 album Urstan and Sheffield-based musician James Green, with whom he made the 2016 album Plaint of Lapwing (Clay Pipe Music). He has also worked with artists from other disciplines such as film makers, poets, painters and puppeteers
“Already a legendary free-drummer Alex Neilson has played with most of the musical underground’s heavyweights of this era. This one man folk renaissance movement has left a trail of recordings and thrilling live shows with Jandek, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Heather Leigh, Alasdair Roberts, and Richard Youngs in his youthful wake.
Always moving from project to project, Neilson brings a sense of exploration and independence to his playing. As one of the most energetic and ‘in-tune’ free players around, Neilson has a better grasp than most on trying to get across the nature of improvisation.” - stylusmagazine
Over the last 20 years Stevie has played as part of endless collaborative projects including; El Hombre Trajeado (with RM Hubbert among others) Rude Pravo (with artists Luke Fowler, Lucille Desamoury and Cara Tolmie), Sycamore with Friends (with Jer Reid and Shane Connoly) and Maxton Grainger (with Chris Mack of James Orr Complex). He’s also recorded and toured internationally as a guitarist, double bassist and pianist with groups including Arab Strap, Alasdair Roberts & Friends, Lord Cut-Glass, The Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Band, Sophia and The Bill Wells Trio. He’s worked as a theatre sound engineer and designer with companies like NTS, Grid Iron, Corcadorca and EIF. He records and produces his own records as well as those by groups such as RM Hubbert, The One Ensemble, Trembling Bells and National Bedtime. Sound of Yell’s Brocken Spectre is the first project which Stevie has produced, written and arranged. The extended band is a collection of many of his favourite musicians .
